Kroot
Kroot The Kroot are a unique race of xenos originating from the world of Pech, located within the Ultima Segmentum and absorbed into the Tau Empire. The Kroot are a relatively primitive race operating in tribes known as Kindreds and living in the most basic of buildings constructed from animal hides and located high in the treetops of the sprawling jungles of Pech. While most Kroot are seen fighting alongside Tau armies they also operate separately either working as a large kindred towards their own goals or working as mercenaries for the highest bidder. While they are uncommon in the Imperium and generally frowned upon by the Inquisition it is not unknown for some more radical Inquisitors to employ single Kroot for their impressive field craft abilities. Kroot Traditions and Practices The primitive tribal nature of the Kroot mean that they tend to follow a similar social system to that which is witnessed on a number of the feral worlds located within the Imperium. Kroot are led by a group of particularly large members of their society known as shapers who have an instinctive understanding of the species and combat, as well as having a better understanding of other species and diplomacy and having far greater control of their more primitive urges. All members of Kroot society are expected to hunt and fight when the time comes, including the females who are hard to distinguish from the males. One prominent practice of the Kroot which tends to be looked down upon by other civilizations particularly that of the Tau is the act of cannibalism they perform on their victims after combat, eating the flesh of the dead to grow stronger. While within the Tau empire this practice has been almost entirely stamped out there are still Kroot kindreds which are not part of the empire who practice this ritual. Kroot Evolution The Kroot are a very unique species when it comes to their evolution, as they evolve in a way which has never before been documented. Rather than an evolution which occurs through random mutation and takes many millennia to fully realize the results the Kroot are able to absorb DNA through their highly advanced digestive system. This explains the cannibalistic practices of the Kroot as well as the important role the Shapers play in controlling which foods a kindred will choose to eat, allowing them to carefully construct a more powerful group of hunters as the generations progress. As a result of this individual kindreds can vary greatly from each other although there are a number of traits which have become heavily ingrained into the Kroot DNA and are common amongst all Kroot as well as a number of other species located on Pech, believed to be Kroot who have reached a genetic “dead end”. Kroot Appearance While the unique evolutionary process means that Kroot vary significantly almost all Kroot are tall and wiry, appearing fragile compared to other xenos such as the muscular orks. However this is deceptive as their highly dense muscles are capable of swiftly contracting allowing the Kroot to deliver extremely powerful blows in rapid succession. These powerful muscles also mean they are capable of launching themself further and higher than normal men, moving with a bounding gait in the open or leaping from tree to tree in their more natural wooded environments. As well as their long powerful muscles all Kroot and most subspecies Have a very distinct face, possessing a powerful beak like mouth and no nose. This mouth is used to rip and tear not only at their traditional meal of their deceased foes but also at live enemies in desperate situations and the vast power they can exert from their mighty jaw muscles allows them to bite through flesh with ease. Another defining feature of the Kroot is their long spines which emerge from the back of their heads in a large grouping analogous to hair of other species as well as far smaller spines which emerge from the elbows. The spines occurring on the head contain clusters of ganglia which run from base to tip and are used to interpret sensory information, which combined with their heightened senses makes them difficult to hide from. Most Kroot feel at home in very basic clothing consisting of harnesses and animal hides and while it is not unknown for Kroot to wear somewhat heavier armour plating at times it tends to require much coercion and it is often difficult to find anything designed for their unique frames. Kroot PCs Kroot Characters tend to represent a lone Kroot separated from his kindred for any number of reasons, be it expulsion, the slaughter of his fellow Kroot, or his own choice, believing he could gain greater wealth as a lone mercenary. Kindred Adaptation Kroot can be descended from some of the various common strains that are most often procreated throughout the species. A Kroot PC may roll on this table if they want, allowing them to be a member of one of these unique kindred. If you would rather not use these unique strains then you can choose to use the Carnivore Kindred result rather than roll on the table. Headhunter Kindred The Headhunter Kindred developed from earlier Kroot who hunted the most poisonous creatures they could find. As a result they are capable of spitting a highly corrosive acid, burning the exposed flesh of their enemies and causing horrific wounds. The Kroot gains a acid breath weapon (5m: 1d10+Toughness Bonus E; AP 0+Toughness Bonus S/-/-; Shots unlimited). Hyperactive Nymune Organ Adaptation The Kroot gains the Nimble Trait. Bold Adaptation The Bold Adaptation allows the Kroot to reroll any failed Willpower checks to avoid fear or pinning. Chameleon Adaptation Chameleon Kroot gain the Hide skill and gain a +10% bonus on it at all times. Carnivore Kindred The basic Kroot Carnivore are the basic members of the Kroot race. They gain no bonus to statistics or traits but receive a Good quality Kroot Rifle and 3 clips of Charged Pulse Ammo in place of their basic weapon in their career. Vulture Kindred The Kroot gains a Hover speed equal to it's normal movement speed. Fast Reflex Adaptation The Kroot with this adaptation gain the Lightning Reflex talent. Nocturnal Adaptation The Kroot with this adaptation gains the Dark Sight trait. Green Kroot Adaptation Created from years of fighting Orks and consuming their remains, the Green Kroot Strain are hybrids of Orks and Kroot. The Kroot with this trait gain the Unnatural Strength, Unnatural Toughness, and Durable traits. Sixth Sense Adaptation A Kroot with the Sixth Sense gain the Heightened Senses talent in hearing and seeing. ------------------------------------ Kroot Characteristics Fate ----------------------------------------- Kroot Careers Kroot may take the following Career Paths: Assassin The natural ability of the Kroot to move unseen and unheard in jungles and woods make them ideal Assassins, capable of silently infiltrating enemy encampments and waiting amongst the trees for days or weeks until the ideal moment to strike. As such they are often hired for one off Assassination missions although they are also sometimes kept for an extended period on a regular payment. Guardsman While rarely employed within the Imperial Guard itself it is not uncommon for Kroot who are being used for an extended period by an Inquisitor to be trained in the methods and tactics of the Imperial Guard as well as it’s weapons. Scum While it is uncommon for Kroot to be on a world without some sort of master providing regular payments they occasionally will stow away on ships belonging to rogue traders moving from world to world. When they find a planet of choice often a Feral World they will set up home within woodlands or jungle near a local community, often terrorizing the people within that community to eke out a survival. Kindred One of the most important reasons for Kroot to travel beyond Pech and the worlds immediately surrounding it is the search for new genetic material. Kroot following the path of the Kindred are performing just such a task, traveling on their own in search of the perfect pray, be they mere beasts or sentient humanoids. As they gather greater DNA for their tribe these Kroot will eventually earn the title of Master Shaper having demonstrated an understanding of Kroot evolution and on return they will replace the previous Master Shaper in guiding the Kroot to the next evolutionary step. ------------------------------- Kroot Skills Kroot are at home in the wild, particularly woods and Jungles and as such all Kroot gain the Survival skill. -------------------------------- Kroot Traits Kroot gain the following traits. Record all of these on your character sheet. Field Craft Kroot grow up surrounded by lush jungles and forests. They have developed such a symbiotic relationship with their surrounds that they can move through it effortlessly. :' Effect:' Vegetation does not count as difficult terrain for Kroot and when running or charging through dense vegetation, Kroot take no penalty to the Agility Test to keep their feet. Leaps and Bounds While Kroot fully demonstrate their strength in combat their powerful legs are an amazing asset which allow them to launch themselves beyond anything that would be expected from a creature of their size. :' Effect:' When calculating the distance travelled by any Jump or Leap action double the final result. When perfoming a Jumping Down action halve the distance down for the purposes of the test. The 4 metres required for a running leap are not needed for Kroot, making a Standing leap now a running leap, and any running leaps gaining a bonus to the strength test for every 4 metres travelled before the leap (rather than every 4 beyond the first 4) Rapid Strikes Kroot have trained for many years with their traditional Kroot Rifles and as such are capable of striking in rapid succession with the blades on them. :Effect: When fighting in melee combat with a Kroot Rifle the Kroot has an extra Half Action at his disposal however if any actions other than melee combat and movement are undertaken then the Half Action is forfeited. Unique Wargear Kroot are used to their rags and harnesses as well as their traditional Kroot Rifle and find it difficult to obtain Imperial weapons which feel comfortable within their four fingered grip or armour that suits their long muscular frame, particularly helmets. :Effect: Any Imperial or Xenos weapons or armour (excluding those traditionally used by Kroot) purchased for the Kroot will have their Availability drop 2 steps (this stacks with quality) and will cost twice as much. Items which are Very Rare for Imperial citizens are available only at GM discretion to Kroot. Beastial While Kroot are humanoid, they are far from the traditional appearance which humans and even most humanoid xenos are used to. Despite their highly social Kindreds they find it difficult to interact with other humanoids. :Effect: Whenever interacting with humanoids with an Intelligence greater than 15, excluding other Kroot, they halve their Fellowship for any associated tests. Primitive Kroot technology only extends as far as the traditional Kroot Rifles and Massive War Spheres which are of Orkish design, as such, they are incapable of using some technologies and tend to feel out of place in urban settings. :Effect: (as Feral Worder Primitive trait) --------------------------------- Notes With regard to the Unique Wargear Trait that Kroot have, The following weapons are considered to be Kroot Weapons *Kroot Rifle *Kroot Hunting Rifle *Kroot Gun The following armours are considered to be Kroot Armours *Beast Furs *Grox Hides *Xeno Hides Be aware that while these items do not suffer from the effects of the Unique Wargear Trait, they are still difficult to obtain within the imperium, although the Kroot character may have contacts which allow them to find and obtain such items easier(at GM discretion). Category:xenos